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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23036407">Brilliance of a thousand stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayItBeAnEveningStar/pseuds/MayItBeAnEveningStar'>MayItBeAnEveningStar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Idiots in Love, M/M, Mordor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:27:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,001</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23036407</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayItBeAnEveningStar/pseuds/MayItBeAnEveningStar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mairon realized that he had a weakness.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annatar/Celebrimbor | Telperinquar, Celebrimbor | Telperinquar/Sauron | Mairon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Brilliance of a thousand stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Where are the rings?" Mairon demanded.</p><p>Telperinquar remained silent. He was chained to the wall and forced to kneel at Mairon's feet, but his disdainful glare showed plainly that he was far from conquered.</p><p>Mairon was alarmed by just how much he admired the elf.</p><p>Tyelpe was exceedingly beautiful, but what had really attracted Mairon to him was his fiery spirit. The elf simply never gave up. It was frustrating - and fascinating.</p><p>Which was the problem.</p><p>They were enemies - Mairon was not supposed to admire him, or be fascinated by him. He was supposed to be torturing Tyelpe for information, was supposed to whip him and beat him and break him through hours and hours of pain.</p><p>Tyelpe sneered at him. He had always had the uncanny gift of knowing exactly what was on Mairon's mind. "Go on then - torture me for answers. Let us see who wins in the end, shall we?"</p><p>Too bad he could not even make himself hurt a hair on Tyelpe's head.</p><p>They stared at each other in silence. Tyelpe's eyes bored into him. </p><p>Mairon reached out to lightly grab a strand of Tyelpe's long dark hair, curling it around a slender finger twice. He yanked on it. Tyelpe's hissed slightly at the sudden sharp pain, startled.</p><p>"What are you doing," he snapped.</p><p>"Proving a point to myself," Mairon replied. He was capable of harming Tyelpe, after all - never mind that it had literally only been a hair. </p><p>Baby steps.</p><p>Tyelpe narrowed his eyes at him. He seemed to notice the reluctance in Mairon's expression. "Don't play lovesick with me, Sauron - Dark Lords like you are incapable of love. I may be stupid, but I know that much at least."</p><p>Mairon wished that it was true. It would make things so much simpler. He had aimed to befriend Tyelpe at first, but Tyelpe was funny and clever and kind and <em>hot </em>- and it had took him no time at all to decide that bedding the elf would be an even better tactic. He had played the part of a devoted lover for centuries, and Tyelpe had loved him so much, had given him everything. They had been happy together. All was perfect up until the betrayal.</p><p>Mairon was supposed to stop being Tyelpe's lover afterwards and show his true colours as the Dark Lord of Mordor. But the problem was, playing the lover seemed to have become an instinct to him, to the extent that when he had seen his Tyelpe on the battlefield that day, he almost forgot himself and rushed to help him. He suppressed his urge to protect the elf immediately, but it had unsettled him deeply.</p><p>And now, it seemed, he could not even bring himself to torture Tyelpe for valuable information! It was getting ridiculous.  </p><p>He had been the lieutenant of Angband for millennia and he had never hesitated to hurt anyone, not once. He had seen the unparalleled beauty of Luthien, but even her perfect appearance would not have made him hesitate to mutilate her if she was in Tyelpe's place right now.</p><p>So what was the problem? </p><p>He could not be in love with the elf, could he? Tyelpe himself said it - Dark Lords like him were incapable of love. That could not be it. </p><p>"Why do you say that a Dark Lord cannot love, Tyelpe?" Mairon asked with false calm. <em>Convince me. Please. </em></p><p>"Are you seriously suggesting that you love me? After you murdered thousands of my kin? Don't make me laugh," the elf spat. "And it's Telperinquar to you."</p><p>"Why would you say a Dark Lord is incapable of love?" Mairon insisted, ignoring the barbs.</p><p>"No one who is capable of love could be as vile as you and your master," Tyelpe snarled.</p><p>"Melkor is not my master," he replied automatically.</p><p>"What was he to you, then? Your friend? Your family? Your lover?" Tyelpe snapped. "Oh, I see - you and Morgoth love each other in your own twisted way, don't you? Well, it does not concern me. Even if you are capable of love, your love makes me feel <em>sick</em>. Why don't you go and join your lover in the Void, if he is so precious to you? Don't waste your time here with me!"</p><p>Mairon stared at him. "Me and Melkor, <em>lovers</em>? I have no idea where you got that idea."</p><p>Tyelpe glared at him.</p><p>Mairon slowly pulled a dagger out from inside his pristine white robes. Tyelpe's eyes darted towards it. There was a flash of fear, but it was quickly hidden and replaced by anger. </p><p>"I will tell you nothing," he said.</p><p>"We will see about that," Mairon said in a low voice. He laid the blade of the dagger against Tyelpe's face, slowly moving the cold metal downwards in the imitation of a lover's caress. Tyelpe stared back at him coldly and did not flinch.</p><p>The first cut was on Tyelpe's lower lip. It was shallow, and only a small drop of blood appeared. The blood slid down Tyelpe's pointed chin slowly, leaving a crimson line in its wake. </p><p>Mairon could not help but stare for a moment. By the Valar, Tyelpe was irresistibly beautiful. </p><p>He quickly shook himself out of it. "Where next? Should I slice open that pretty face of yours?" Mairon mused aloud, sliding the dagger back up towards Tyelpe's cheek.</p><p>Tyelpe stared at him coldly. There was no sign of fear this time.</p><p>Mairon held his gaze for a long moment, the tip of the dagger that close to breaking Tyelpe's flawless skin. </p><p>Abruptly he dropped the dagger. No, he could not do it. He just could not.</p><p>He scowled at Tyelpe, feeling angry, confused and afraid. What was the matter with him? Eru, what had this damned elf done to him? Had Tyelpe made him <em>soft</em>?</p><p>Mairon clenched his teeth in frustration. "We will continue tomorrow," he bit out before storming away from the cell and slamming the door shut behind him, leaving a very perplexed Tyelpe behind. </p><p> </p>
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